Traditional shifts in the economy, both positive and negative, generally have a broad impact on various areas of technology, business, and development. Larger shifts in the economy, such as those that are classified as a recession, generally have a wide sweeping and nearly all inclusive impact on every sector of the economy. For example, the recent (2008-2009) economic downturn in the United States, which was subsequently felt in nearly every economically developed nation, has impacted essentially every business sector of the US economy, and further, the impact has been significant enough that several business sectors have been forced to essentially reinvent themselves.
One example of a business sector that has been significantly impacted by the economic downturn is the urban commercial development industry, which includes architects, designers, builders, realtors, etc. More particularly, the current economic downturn appears to have substantially reprioritized urban real estate/housing consumer expectations and desires. For example, urban real estate/housing consumers now appear to be seeking more environmentally friendly housing, whereas in the past environmental concerns rarely factored into an urban real estate purchase decision. The urban environmentally friendly expectations and desires may include that ample “green space” be provided by a particular urban housing unit, the proximity of the urban housing unit to public (green) transportation, and the housing unit's energy efficiency ratings.
Therefore, in the view of the evolving consumer expectations and desires in the urban commercial development industry, there is a need for a method or system for designing a mixed-use urban housing development that is substantially based on green technology.